A new Youth Hub in Dumbarton is bringing employment, training and wellbeing support together for people aged 16 to 24 across West Dunbartonshire.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced the opening on 30 October 2026. The service is based at Tullochan, an established youth development charity in Dumbarton, and is intended to help young people overcome barriers to education, training and employment.
What support will be available?
The government says the Youth Hub will bring together Jobcentre Plus and local services. Its announced offer includes:
- CV preparation, job applications and careers guidance
- Skills training and routes into apprenticeships or further education
- Connections with employers and opportunities for work
- Mental health and wellbeing support
- Advice on housing and other practical issues that can affect someone’s ability to work
The aim is to give young people access to different types of help in one place, rather than requiring them to approach several separate services. The DWP says Youth Hubs across Great Britain will have minimum standards covering employment, training and wider support.
Who is delivering the service?
The hub is based at Tullochan, which already works with young people across West Dunbartonshire. Its existing programmes include a training academy, work placements and hands-on learning through social enterprises. This means the new Youth Hub is an additional service at an established organisation, not the creation of a completely new youth centre.
The government names Working4U, Skills Development Scotland and Scottish Action for Mental Health as local partners. Tullochan’s own programme information describes help with CVs and job searches, accredited qualifications and work experience in fields including hospitality, retail and practical trades.
Why is the hub needed?
Official figures provide some context. Skills Development Scotland found that 91.4% of West Dunbartonshire’s 4,123 young people aged 16 to 19 were participating in education, employment, training or personal development in its 2025 Annual Participation Measure. A further 5.6% were recorded as not participating, while 3.0% had an unconfirmed status.
Nationally, the Office for National Statistics estimated that 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 across the UK were not in education, employment or training in April to June 2026, equivalent to 13.0% of that age group. The total was 30,000 higher than a year earlier but 30,000 lower than the preceding quarter.
The two figures measure different age groups and activities, so they should not be directly compared. Being outside education, employment or training does not necessarily mean someone is actively seeking work: the national total includes economically inactive young people.
How much money is involved?
The DWP links the opening to the government’s wider £2.5 billion Youth Guarantee investment and plans to expand Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain over three years. That £2.5 billion is national programme funding, not a sum announced for this Dumbarton hub.
The 30 October announcement does not identify a specific local budget or set a numerical target for how many young people the new service is expected to help into employment.
Where is the hub and how can people get help?
According to the DWP, the hub is open Tuesday to Friday, although the announcement does not give daily opening times, booking arrangements or a dedicated Youth Hub contact number.
The government gives the location as Tullochan, 9 Poplar Street, Dumbarton, G82 2RD. However, the Scottish Charity Register lists Tullochan at 9–11 Poplar Road, Broadmeadow Industrial Estate, with the same postcode. Anyone planning a visit should check the precise entrance and opening times with the charity first.
Tullochan lists contact details on its website, including info@tullochan.org and 07931 228 462. These are the charity’s general contact details, not a confirmed dedicated Youth Hub helpline.
What happens next?
The opening offers another route to local support, but the test will be whether the hub helps people move into sustained education, training and employment. Local funding details, a performance target and the way outcomes will be measured have not yet been set out in the government’s announcement.
Sources
- Department for Work and Pensions: West Dunbartonshire Youth Hub announcement, 30 October 2026
- Tullochan: youth programmes and employability support
- Skills Development Scotland: West Dunbartonshire participation data for 2025
- Office for National Statistics: UK NEET estimates, April to June 2026
- Scottish Charity Register: Tullochan charity details
